During brake use, such as during an aircraft landing, brakes convert kinetic energy of a moving vehicle into, among other things, thermal energy. Brake temperatures thus rise during braking. In aircraft brakes, brakes may reach high temperatures (e.g. well above 1,000° F.). After a landing or other use of aircraft brakes, it is preferable to allow the aircraft brake temperature to cool to a predetermined temperature prior to attempting a take-off.
In that manner, if a take-off is aborted, the aircraft brakes may more safely accept the heat associated with a “rejected take-off” (“RTO”). An RTO refers generally to engagement of aircraft brakes during an aborted take-off. Typically, an RTO includes high braking loads over a short time period, which in turn correlates to a rapid increase in brake temperature. If aircraft brakes above the predetermined temperature are used in an RTO, brake malfunction may become more likely. Waiting a fixed period of time between landing and take-off tends to lead to wasted time, as the brakes may have cooled to the predetermined temperature prior to the end of the waiting period.